He doth bestride the world like a colossus….
If the push came to the shove, if it had to come down to a vote… who is the G.O.A.T.? Of course, Pelé it is! But not for the reason that he won the World Cup a record three times!
Cups are won by Teams, by Countries. Pelé may have scored all the goals but any Brazillian player who played in all three winning tournaments is entitled to that same record – even the teams’ weakest links!
It is MVPs, Golden Balls or the Ballon d’ors that Individuals vie for. And hasn’t Pelé deserved them all?
Pelé cannot be defined by the winning of three World Cups. He rates way beyond that. I feel a sense of shame for letting myself be drawn into this meaningless debate. But the immensity of the loss I feel at his passing forces these words out of me. The world has lost a colossus whose boots may never be filled… unless many feet are fitted into them. How do you dispute Football honour with a man who, after he has hung up his boots for over forty (40) years continues to qualify for such a debate!
In 1977, after he had led the Cosmos to a Soccer Bowl title, Pelé hung up his boots for good. But not before he had made America recognize “the beautiful game” as the most popular sport in the Universe!
In 1958 Pelé happened to football. He arrived fiery like a meteor, a meteor that refused to burn out. Sixty-four years after, his flame lights up the world even as he leaves! Tongues are wagging, mouths are yapping but you hear of no scandals only accolades. A team player, humble in spite of his successes, quick to acknowledge the value of others, he bestrode the world like a colossus.
Think about it…. At seventeen, a black boy from Brazil, Brazil 1958, rises above poverty, forces his way into reckoning by the feat of his feet, by becoming the first teenager to score a goal at the World Cup! Today, Jersey Number 10 is every player’s envied jersey number, every fan’s hope for victory for his/her favourite team. Think about the ‘scissors kick’. Whose image pops up? Those balls were made of leather, they were heavy, especially if it rained. It didn’t deter his dazzling runs, the dribbles and the goals and his unique way of celebrating them – a phenomenon that many players monkey today though they may not acknowledge it! Through it all, his dark skin glowed and defied coloured desires and racist ambitions. And the world saw the beauty of the game instead of hateful race.
Who is the G.O.A.T?
Perhaps if the Americans had been exposed to football early enough – which is shocking considering the English roots of many Americans – they would not name their game football, a game in which the foot is rarely used. Well, some Americans are stock with calling the beautiful game Soccer but how wonderful it would be for USA to win the World Cup someday soon. Be sure they would not even be looking for that without Pelé who was the leading light in making America accept football – the one that is played with the foot! In a country that runs a ‘World Series Baseball’ that is played only in the Americas, that took some doing.
Who is the G.O.A.T?
There have been many great players : Maradona, Tigana, Zinnedin Zidane, Socrates, Eusebio, Platini, Batistuta, Ronaldo (the original) and the other Ronaldo whose bad behaviour is being grievously copied by an emerging great called Mbappe….
How many can I remember? Like him or not, if the truth is told, Lionel Messi’s talent, his mesmerizing dribbles, his speed as he accelerates, his ball control, the astonishing sniper accuracy of his passes, and his dazzling goals are like magic and the game may never have seen the likes before. And he has humility. If he does not, it is not on public display.
But who is the G.O.A.T?
No man is infallible. Nobody is perfect. Pelé comes close to being so – infallible, perfect… As a role model, a sportsman, a Team player, and a human being, Pelé defy Time and Space. And for all this Pelé may for an unforeseeable time remain the G.O.A.T.
The world has lost a great man. Football has lost one of its greatest ambassadors. The King is dead. May God grant him eternal rest.
Copied from the Facebook wall of a Senior citizen, broadcaster, playwright, and writer, Ihria Ehia Enakimio.
